Hey All,
Here's that column you love to read on Tuesdays, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
Notre Dame 22- USC 13: By the time your team plays its' 12th game of the season, you realize they are who they are. This game was a microcosm of the whole season for USC. The Trojans played a sloppy game with a sluice for a defense and yet still had a chance to win. Notre Dame played solid, if not flashy, winning football. Their fundamentals were great with good blocking and tackling and excellent special teams. Irish RB Theo Riddick rushed for 146 yards and his squad's only TD, while QB Everett Golson threw for 217 yards and ran for 47 more to keep ND's offense clicking down the field. USC QB Max Wittek got his first ever start subbing for the injured Matt Barkley and threw for 186 yards and the Trojans only TD.
Telling Stat: 0/11; Counting all the penalties, USC went 0/11 in trying to get into the end zone after having a 1st and goal on two drives in last quarter.
Utah 42- Colorado 35: An awful decision on special teams cost Colorado a shot at beating Utah. With 8:25 left in the fourth quarter, CU KR Marques Mosley took a kickoff back 100 yards for a TD. That TD tied the game up at 35-35. On the ensuing kickoff, the Buffaloes kicked deep to Utah's Reggie Dunn. As a KR this season, Dunn had returned four kickoffs for TDs. Dunn did it again. His 100-yard scamper to the promised land put Utah up to stay. The Utes were outplayed in this game, but won the turnover battle (5 to 1) and the game. RB John White IV led the Utah attack with 168 yards rushing on 20 carries and one TD. Meanwhile the Utah defense forced five turnovers, including intercepting CU QB Nick Hirschman four times.
Telling Stat: Three quick ones; The final 21 points of the game were scored in a :29 span in the fourth quarter.
Arizona State 41- Arizona 34: Up 27-17 after three quarters, the Wildcats had control of this game and it looked like the Territorial Cup would be theirs. Then, UofA imploded in the final period allowing ASU to come away with the win. ASU scored 24 straight points in the fourth quarter off one long drive, two turnovers and a blocked punt to stun the Wildcats. RB Marion Grice ran for 156 yards and 3 TDs for ASU while QB Taylor Kelly threw for 191 yards. UofA QB Matt Scott sliced up the ASU defense to the tune of 230 yards passing and 3 TDs, but he also threw three big interceptions that changed the game. RB Ka'Deem Carey had a big game in the loss for the Wildcats rushing for 172 yards on 25 carries and one TD.
Telling Stat: Turnovers the key; This truly was a game where turnovers dictated the outcome as the two squads combined for 60 first downs and 18 of 35 on third downs. ASU won the turnover battle and therefore the game.
Washington State 31- Washington 28- OT: UW held a 28-10 lead to start the fourth quarter behind two TD runs by RB Bishop Sankey and two TD passes by QB Keith Price. Then, the Cougars mounted one of their greatest comebacks ever to win the Apple Cup. The comeback started when the Cougs put together a 10-play 75 yard drive that was capped off by a 2-yard run by RB Carl Winston. UW fumbled the ball right back to Wzzu on the ensuing possession and the Cougs drove 47-yards for a TD by Winston who crossed the double stripe from 1-yard out. Throw in the two-point conversion and Wazzu trailed by only three with 7:26 to play. The Wazzu defense then forced the Huskies to go three-and-out. The now almost unstoppable Cougars drove down the field again and got a 45-yard field goal by PK Andrew Furney to tie the game at 28-28 with 1:59 to play. UW the got up off the deck and drove all the way down to the Wazzu 18 with just five seconds to play. PK Travis Coons then missed wide from 35 yards out and overtime was at hand. UW had the ball first in OT and on the first play of OT, Keith Price's pass was intercepted by NT Kalaftoni Pole. After the big man's rumbling try to hit paydirt was stopped by the Huskies, Wazzu started their half of the OT. After getting down to the Huskies nine-yard line, Furney came in and split the uprights from 27-yards out to claim the Apple Cup.
Telling Stat: 27/3; Wazzu only RB Carl Winston only rushed for 27 yards in the game, but he scored three rushing TDs. Those three scores doubled Wazzu's total of rushing TDs for the season.
Oregon 48- Oregon State 24: The Beavers turned the ball over six times and got worked over by the Ducks up in Corvalis. The Beavers only trailed 20-17 a few minutes into the third quarter, but a few turnovers later, Oregon's offense stretched their lead to 48-17 rather quickly. UO RB Kenjon Barner ran for 198 yards and two TDs while RB De'Anthony Thomas ran for 122 yards and three TDs to lead the Duck offense. QB Sean Mannion threw for 311 yards, one TD and four interceptions in the losing cause.
Telling Stat: 6; Turnovers tell the tale here. Oregon was +6 in turnovers and easily won this game.
Stanford 35- UCLA 17: Stanford's most direct path to the Rose Bowl is to beat UCLA twice. The Cardinal got halfway down that path with a win over the bRuins Saturday. RB Stepfan Taylor gashed the UCLA defense with 142 yards rushing on 20 carries and two TDs. Brett Hundley completed 20 of 38 throws for 261 yards and one TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: No O for the S. Stanford seemed to pack up their offense with a 35-17 lead to start the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, UCLA kept trying to get back in the game, but was stopped twice on downs in the final period.
Cranberry Crushers 42- Tough Turkeys 35: Once again the Commissioner's team fell in the annual backyard brawl on one of the world' s smallest football fields. After quickly falling behind 14-0 due to the passing skills of Robert Weissler, the Tough Turkeys rallied using an Oregon-style up tempo offense to get back in the game. It was a see-saw affair after that with the Crushers holding the upper hand for most of the game. However, the Turkeys still had a shot to force overtime as the clock ran down. Turkeys QB Liza Weissler launched a pass downfield over the outstretched hands of Crushers DB Margaret Lenker. The Commissioner snagged the ball and turned towards the pay dirt when he was stopped at the one-yard line by the Crusher's Luci Ursich. The stop saved the game for the Crushers who extended their winning streak in the series to three games. Newcomer Jake Simon draws rookie of the year honors for his solid play.
Telling Stat; Grabbing a spot; big meal + running soon = lots of couch time after the game.
Bowl Math
With 35 bowls on the schedule this season, that means that there are 70 bowl slots. As of this week there are exactly 73 bowl-eligible teams. Georgia Tech could fall out of BE status with a loss this week to Florida State in the ACC title game. UConn and Pitt still have a shot at becoming bowl-eligible as they are both 5-6 with one game left. So, there could be five teams left out of bowling at this time next week.
Flashing the BCS: Kent State
The hot topic this week is how Kent State needs a UCLA or Texas loss to climb into a BCS bowl game. Yes, a team from a non automatic qualifier conference can get to the BCS if they are ranked 16th or higher at the end of the season. However, the other part of that rule is that they also must be ranked higher than the champion of one of the six BCS automatic qualifier conferences. That's where the Big East comes in. There isn't a single Big East team in the BCS top 25. Rutgers will most likely be the Big East Champion. They could finish at 10-2 and end up unranked. Oh, and one of Rutgers two losses on the season is to Kent State. The Big East: an epic failure of a conference. One last thing, if Kent State does make it to the Orange Bowl, the team that would get knocked out of the BCS would be Oklahoma. With Oregon, Florida, and Notre Dame sure to claim three at-large berths, only one is up for grabs and OU is the team on the bubble.
Observations
...Bitter in Boulder; Jon Embree is out at Colorado and not happy about it. He was told he was let go because the trajectory of the program was not going in the right direction. Embree quipped back to AD Mike Bohn, "What direction was it going when I was hired?" Well, CU had a string of .500 and near .500 seasons going 23-26 over the four years before he Embree was hired. Embree's two season total was 4-21. The Buffs went 1-11 in 2012 with no home wins for the first time since 1920. I'd say the AD was right, to pull the trigger after just two seasons.
...Sixth in the state; Just how horrible a season has it been at USC? USC has the sixth best record in the state among it's seven FBS teams. Stanford and San Jose State are 10-2. UCLA, Fresno State and San Diego State are 9-3. USC is 7-5 and Cal is 3-9.
...Hope, thy name is Boise; With everyone concentrating on Kent State busting up the BCS, there is a chance for Boise to claim a BCS berth if Kent State stumbles.
...Gripping the ball too hard; Georgia QB Aaron Murray has been allowed to impose a media blackout on himself by the university for this week's SEC title game. To quote Sgt. Hulka, "Relax, Francis!" Football is a game. Games are meant to be fun. Enjoy it while you can, kid.
...So, It matters now; I find it funny that one of the reasons cited by many Auburn people for the firing of HC Gene Chizik is an investigation into the program by the NCAA. It's amazing how that didn't matter when the NCAA was looking into the purchasing of Cam Newton by Auburn a couple of years ago. Oh, that's right, Auburn was winning then. Never mind.
...An FBS bromance reality show; That's what it must feel like for Boise State's Chris Petersen at this time each year. He heads every school's coaching wish list. Maybe one day he'll leave the Broncos and hand his rose to somebody new.
...Wasted; You wonder how much talent really was wasted at USC this year when WR Marqise Lee takes home the Pac 12's Offensive Player of the Year honor and DE Leonard Williams earned the Defensive Freshman of the Year award.
...A true ramblin' wreck; Georgia Tech will most likely lose their ACC title tilt with Florida State. That would make Tech a 6-7 team. The boys in Atlanta are filling out the forms to apply for an NCAA bowl waiver right now.
...And there ended up being one; Southern Mississippi finished the season at 0-12 after dropping their final game to Memphis, 42-24.
...Not easy being a tree; It's a given that Stanford is a better team than UCLA. However, playing the same team you just beat for a second time just six days later will be tough. This will be a lot closer game than anyone thinks.
...Feeling the FCS; There are some pretty good FCS playoff games on tap this week. South Dakota State takes on North Dakota State in what should be a bare knuckles affair. Also, Stony Brook travels to Montana State. That one will definitely be worth a look.
...Big XII vision; With the Big XII not having a title game, the league is playing out the string this weekend. That gives us all some more games to watch this week than normal this time of year and that's not a bad thing.
...Feeling the old WAC; San Diego State and BYU will tangle in the Poinsettia Bowl. The old WAC conference games between these two were pretty good. I hope this one does not disappoint.
...Can't get Hawaii out of his blood; SMU has accepted a bid to play in the Hawaii Bowl v. a Mountain West foe. Mustang HC June Jones must love these homecomings.
...A quick axe; One 0-12 season wall all the folks at Southern Miss could take. HC Ellis Johnson is out after one miserable season in Hattiesburg.
...Time to strip a bid; It looks like Tulane will be joining the Big East. in a couple of seasons gthe league could have Navy, Tulane, and SMU. It's time for this league to lose its' automatic bid for the BCS. Just give another slot to an at-large team.
And now this week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Anyone who knows me can laugh at how I was asked the other day if the lost dog running around the neighborhood was mine. Ummm, no. It ain't mine.
Fudge is one of the greatest things ever made. Period.
Thanksgiving leftovers rock.
Until next week folks, remember that you gotta have a lot of luck on your side in order to go undefeated.
-The Commissioner
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Week 12
Hey All,
Here's the Thanksgiving Week edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
UCLA 38- USC 28: Tell me if you've heard this one before. The Trojans come out flat, fall behind, mount a comeback, then lose to to a team with lesser talent that's more focused and has more heart. UCLA came out inspired and carried the day. UCLA QB Brett Hundley sure didn't look like a freshman as he threw for 234 yards an one TD while running for two more scores. Meanwhile, USC QB Matt Barkley had another mixed bag day throwing for 301 yards, three TDs and two huge interceptions. The lackluster Trojan defense had another unimpressive game. They once again failed to tackle and looked lost in simple pass coverage.
Telling Stat: Starting late; UCLA put three scores up on the board before USC had made three first downs in this debacle at the Rose Bowl.
Stanford 17- Oregon 14 OT: The D-line got to the mesh point on almost every play, the linebackers shot the gaps making life hell for Duck QB Marcus Mariota and the secondary refused to be blocked. That is how you stop the spread option. Stanford turned Oregon into an ordinary team. That was what the Stanford defense did. The Stanford offense beat on the Oregon defense four plus quarters until they had enough points to win. Freshman QB Kevin Hogan threw for 211 yards and one TD pass. He also ran for 37 yards and another score. Mariota threw for 207 yards and a TD for the Ducks in the loss.
Telling Stat: No Chains= No Rhythm; Oregon came into the game with a third down conversion rate of 48% and a fourth down conversion rate of 74%. Stanford held Oregon to 23% on third down conversions (4/17) and 0% on fourth down conversions (0/2).
Oregon State 62- California 14: Mix in a whole lot of OSU frustration from their loss to Stanford with with a lackluster Golden Bear squad playing most likely their final game with HC Jeff Tedford at the helm and you have a recipe for a blowout in Corvalis. The Beavers ran up 559 yards of offense and crushed California. OSU QB Sean Mannion, subbing for the injured Cody Vaz, calmly completed 24 of 35 aerials for 325 yards and four TDs. The Beavers handled things well on the ground too with RBs Terron Ward and Storm Woods combining for 192 yards rushing on 25 carries and 3 TDs. The Beaver defense forced four turnovers and easily dominated Cal's injury-ridden offensive line. The lone bright spot for Cal was that RB Isi Sofele ran for 104 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: Far away goalposts; Cal's average starting field position for this game was their own 24 yard-line with no possession ever starting in Oregon State's side of the field.
Washington 38- Colorado 3: The Huskies road woes have been well documented, so when UW only led 7-0 at the half, things looked they could get interesting at Folsom Field. However, there was no need for UW fans to worry as the Dawgs took care of business in the second half. UW's one-two punch of QB Keith Price and RB Bishop Sankey did in the Buffaloes. Price threw for 248 yards and five TDs while Sankey ran for 139 yards and caught four balls for 48 more. The Husky defense held CU to 141 total yards and forced five turnovers while living in the CU backfield all game.
Telling Stat: In, then quickly out; Colorado was in the game with 12:20 to go in the third quarter. 2:53 later after two quick scores off miscues, the Buffs were down 21-0 and out of the game.
Arizona 34- Utah 24: At the end of the third quarter Utah held a 24-17 lead on UofA and all looked good in Salt Lake City. However, the final 15 minutes and the game would belong to Arizona. A two-yard TD run by RB Daniel Jenkins, an 18-yard TD toss from QB Matt Scott to WR Austin Hill and a 24-yard field goal by PK John Bonano comprised UofA's 17-point final period. RB Ka'Deem Carey had another big day as the RB ran the ball 26 times for 204 yards and a TD. Utah QB Travis Wilson had a good day with 304 yards through the air and two TDs, but it wasn't enough to defeat the Wildcats.
Telling Stat: 449/4; UofA gave up 449 yards of offense to Utah, but held the Utes scoreless on their final four drives to finish the game strong.
Arizona State 46- Washington State 7: The Sun Devils snapped a four-game losing streak and gained bowl-eligibility with an easy win over the Cougars. ASU QB's Taylor Kelly and Michael Eubank combined to torch Wazzu for five TD tosses on the afternoon. Meanwhile, the ASU defense held the Cougs to one yard rushing and 241 yards total. They also held Wazzu to just 1 of 16 on third down conversions.
Telling Stat: Well after the fact; Wazzu's lone score came with just :57 left, long after ASU had emptied their bench.
Notre Dame 38- Wake Forest 0: The Fighting Irish got off to quick start and made quick work of the Demon Deacons in South Bend. ND held a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 68-yard TD run by RB Cierre Wood and two TD passes covering 2 and 50 yards by QB Everett Golson. It was over from there as the ND defense easily shutdown Wake's anemic offense. Wake only generated 201 yards of offense and nine first downs all day. Cierre Wood had a big day for the Irish rushing for 150 yards on 11 carries and one TD.
Telling Stat: Picture of a shutout; ND forced 10 punts, one fumble, and held for downs once while shutting out Wake.
Bowl Math
Coming into the final two weeks of the regular season, there are 64 bowl-eligible teams. 13 others still have shot to go bowling. That means there could end up being 77 teams for the 70 bowl slots this year. The Pac 12 and the SEC lead all conferences with eight bowl-eligible teams.
Observations
...And then there was one; Southern Mississippi is still the only winless team left in the FBS. They are 0-11 and will take on Memphis this week to try and avoid the big zero.
...Air Force infantry; The Falcons beat Hawaii 21-7 on Friday night without attempting a single pass. Their Run/Pass ratio for the game was 68/0. It was the fifth time in USAFA history that they've gone an entire game without a pass attempted.
...Crazy stat; Earlier this year Arizona RB Ka'Deem Carey rushed for 366 yards and five TDs v. Colorado. As a team Washington State has rushed for 330 yards and three TDs all season.
...Funny stat; I don't believe anyone out there thought that Oregon State would score more points (23) than Oregon (14) v. Stanford this year.
...No Owls on the islands; A few days ago, Hawaii cancelled their final game of the season with Temple. The negotiations between the two schools on the financial split of the game did not end well. I just want to know why were the schools still negotiating about that during the season?
...A new scramble; With the Big Ten taking in Maryland form the ACC and Rutgers from the Big East, there will be while new round of conference alignments shifting. Get ready for the Pac 16 soon.
...Useless games; The fact that Stanford could end up playing UCLA twice in a six day makes conference championship games look as pointless as I think they are.
...It's a Quaker world; Penn beat Cornell, 35-28 to claim the 2012 Ivy League crown.
...Most invited guest; Stanford Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio will be a headline speaker at almost every major coaching clinic this year.
...Note to Lane Kiffin; When you are both the Offensive Coordinator and the Head Coach, you really are neither.
...Another kiss of death; After pumping up Louisiana Tech as the last WAC Champion, they went out and lost in overtime to Utah State. Oh, but it's safe to say that Utah State will be the last WAC champion as the only game left for the Aggies is against Idaho.
...Quietly making noise; San Jose State is 9-2. That's pretty darn good for a program that was almost dropped a few years back.
...Never gonna see his kind again; St. John's (MN) HC John Gagliardi announced his retirement Monday. He spent the last 64 years as the HC for the Johnnies. His record is 489-138-11. The 86-year old Gagliardi started out as the coach of his own high school team in 1943 at age 16 because the team's HC was drafted into the service in World War II. Asked about why he hung up his whistle, "Seventy years is a long time to be doing the same job."
...Bittersweet holiday; Thanksgiving is always a little bittersweet for me because it means that the college football season is almost over.
...I thought they were so over that league; With the new college football playoff system containing an automatic bid to the highest rated champion of a "Group of Five" lesser conferences, it seems that San Diego State, BYU, and Boise State all want back into the Mountain West Conference. Sounds like a bad romance to me.
...A different light; Oregon QB Marcus Mariota finally looked like a true freshman while he was running for his life from the Stanford defense.
A little love for the CFL
Yes, the Canadian Football League. This week the Toronto Argonauts will take on the Calgary Stampeders in the 100th Grey Cup. Canadian professional football does have a pretty crazy history and shares many things with the American game. One of those you see every week. The CFL was the first league to use the tuning fork or slingshot style goalposts that are the norm in just about every stadium in America.
And now this week's Three Notes About Nothing
Emoji attacks are fun.
One of my favorite scenes in movie history will always be watching Chuck Yeager break the sound barrier in The Right Stuff.
The day after a good rain is always so beautiful in San Pedro.
Until next week folks remember that emotion and heart swing rivalry games
-The Commissioner
Here's the Thanksgiving Week edition of Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
UCLA 38- USC 28: Tell me if you've heard this one before. The Trojans come out flat, fall behind, mount a comeback, then lose to to a team with lesser talent that's more focused and has more heart. UCLA came out inspired and carried the day. UCLA QB Brett Hundley sure didn't look like a freshman as he threw for 234 yards an one TD while running for two more scores. Meanwhile, USC QB Matt Barkley had another mixed bag day throwing for 301 yards, three TDs and two huge interceptions. The lackluster Trojan defense had another unimpressive game. They once again failed to tackle and looked lost in simple pass coverage.
Telling Stat: Starting late; UCLA put three scores up on the board before USC had made three first downs in this debacle at the Rose Bowl.
Stanford 17- Oregon 14 OT: The D-line got to the mesh point on almost every play, the linebackers shot the gaps making life hell for Duck QB Marcus Mariota and the secondary refused to be blocked. That is how you stop the spread option. Stanford turned Oregon into an ordinary team. That was what the Stanford defense did. The Stanford offense beat on the Oregon defense four plus quarters until they had enough points to win. Freshman QB Kevin Hogan threw for 211 yards and one TD pass. He also ran for 37 yards and another score. Mariota threw for 207 yards and a TD for the Ducks in the loss.
Telling Stat: No Chains= No Rhythm; Oregon came into the game with a third down conversion rate of 48% and a fourth down conversion rate of 74%. Stanford held Oregon to 23% on third down conversions (4/17) and 0% on fourth down conversions (0/2).
Oregon State 62- California 14: Mix in a whole lot of OSU frustration from their loss to Stanford with with a lackluster Golden Bear squad playing most likely their final game with HC Jeff Tedford at the helm and you have a recipe for a blowout in Corvalis. The Beavers ran up 559 yards of offense and crushed California. OSU QB Sean Mannion, subbing for the injured Cody Vaz, calmly completed 24 of 35 aerials for 325 yards and four TDs. The Beavers handled things well on the ground too with RBs Terron Ward and Storm Woods combining for 192 yards rushing on 25 carries and 3 TDs. The Beaver defense forced four turnovers and easily dominated Cal's injury-ridden offensive line. The lone bright spot for Cal was that RB Isi Sofele ran for 104 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: Far away goalposts; Cal's average starting field position for this game was their own 24 yard-line with no possession ever starting in Oregon State's side of the field.
Washington 38- Colorado 3: The Huskies road woes have been well documented, so when UW only led 7-0 at the half, things looked they could get interesting at Folsom Field. However, there was no need for UW fans to worry as the Dawgs took care of business in the second half. UW's one-two punch of QB Keith Price and RB Bishop Sankey did in the Buffaloes. Price threw for 248 yards and five TDs while Sankey ran for 139 yards and caught four balls for 48 more. The Husky defense held CU to 141 total yards and forced five turnovers while living in the CU backfield all game.
Telling Stat: In, then quickly out; Colorado was in the game with 12:20 to go in the third quarter. 2:53 later after two quick scores off miscues, the Buffs were down 21-0 and out of the game.
Arizona 34- Utah 24: At the end of the third quarter Utah held a 24-17 lead on UofA and all looked good in Salt Lake City. However, the final 15 minutes and the game would belong to Arizona. A two-yard TD run by RB Daniel Jenkins, an 18-yard TD toss from QB Matt Scott to WR Austin Hill and a 24-yard field goal by PK John Bonano comprised UofA's 17-point final period. RB Ka'Deem Carey had another big day as the RB ran the ball 26 times for 204 yards and a TD. Utah QB Travis Wilson had a good day with 304 yards through the air and two TDs, but it wasn't enough to defeat the Wildcats.
Telling Stat: 449/4; UofA gave up 449 yards of offense to Utah, but held the Utes scoreless on their final four drives to finish the game strong.
Arizona State 46- Washington State 7: The Sun Devils snapped a four-game losing streak and gained bowl-eligibility with an easy win over the Cougars. ASU QB's Taylor Kelly and Michael Eubank combined to torch Wazzu for five TD tosses on the afternoon. Meanwhile, the ASU defense held the Cougs to one yard rushing and 241 yards total. They also held Wazzu to just 1 of 16 on third down conversions.
Telling Stat: Well after the fact; Wazzu's lone score came with just :57 left, long after ASU had emptied their bench.
Notre Dame 38- Wake Forest 0: The Fighting Irish got off to quick start and made quick work of the Demon Deacons in South Bend. ND held a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 68-yard TD run by RB Cierre Wood and two TD passes covering 2 and 50 yards by QB Everett Golson. It was over from there as the ND defense easily shutdown Wake's anemic offense. Wake only generated 201 yards of offense and nine first downs all day. Cierre Wood had a big day for the Irish rushing for 150 yards on 11 carries and one TD.
Telling Stat: Picture of a shutout; ND forced 10 punts, one fumble, and held for downs once while shutting out Wake.
Bowl Math
Coming into the final two weeks of the regular season, there are 64 bowl-eligible teams. 13 others still have shot to go bowling. That means there could end up being 77 teams for the 70 bowl slots this year. The Pac 12 and the SEC lead all conferences with eight bowl-eligible teams.
Observations
...And then there was one; Southern Mississippi is still the only winless team left in the FBS. They are 0-11 and will take on Memphis this week to try and avoid the big zero.
...Air Force infantry; The Falcons beat Hawaii 21-7 on Friday night without attempting a single pass. Their Run/Pass ratio for the game was 68/0. It was the fifth time in USAFA history that they've gone an entire game without a pass attempted.
...Crazy stat; Earlier this year Arizona RB Ka'Deem Carey rushed for 366 yards and five TDs v. Colorado. As a team Washington State has rushed for 330 yards and three TDs all season.
...Funny stat; I don't believe anyone out there thought that Oregon State would score more points (23) than Oregon (14) v. Stanford this year.
...No Owls on the islands; A few days ago, Hawaii cancelled their final game of the season with Temple. The negotiations between the two schools on the financial split of the game did not end well. I just want to know why were the schools still negotiating about that during the season?
...A new scramble; With the Big Ten taking in Maryland form the ACC and Rutgers from the Big East, there will be while new round of conference alignments shifting. Get ready for the Pac 16 soon.
...Useless games; The fact that Stanford could end up playing UCLA twice in a six day makes conference championship games look as pointless as I think they are.
...It's a Quaker world; Penn beat Cornell, 35-28 to claim the 2012 Ivy League crown.
...Most invited guest; Stanford Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio will be a headline speaker at almost every major coaching clinic this year.
...Note to Lane Kiffin; When you are both the Offensive Coordinator and the Head Coach, you really are neither.
...Another kiss of death; After pumping up Louisiana Tech as the last WAC Champion, they went out and lost in overtime to Utah State. Oh, but it's safe to say that Utah State will be the last WAC champion as the only game left for the Aggies is against Idaho.
...Quietly making noise; San Jose State is 9-2. That's pretty darn good for a program that was almost dropped a few years back.
...Never gonna see his kind again; St. John's (MN) HC John Gagliardi announced his retirement Monday. He spent the last 64 years as the HC for the Johnnies. His record is 489-138-11. The 86-year old Gagliardi started out as the coach of his own high school team in 1943 at age 16 because the team's HC was drafted into the service in World War II. Asked about why he hung up his whistle, "Seventy years is a long time to be doing the same job."
...Bittersweet holiday; Thanksgiving is always a little bittersweet for me because it means that the college football season is almost over.
...I thought they were so over that league; With the new college football playoff system containing an automatic bid to the highest rated champion of a "Group of Five" lesser conferences, it seems that San Diego State, BYU, and Boise State all want back into the Mountain West Conference. Sounds like a bad romance to me.
...A different light; Oregon QB Marcus Mariota finally looked like a true freshman while he was running for his life from the Stanford defense.
A little love for the CFL
Yes, the Canadian Football League. This week the Toronto Argonauts will take on the Calgary Stampeders in the 100th Grey Cup. Canadian professional football does have a pretty crazy history and shares many things with the American game. One of those you see every week. The CFL was the first league to use the tuning fork or slingshot style goalposts that are the norm in just about every stadium in America.
And now this week's Three Notes About Nothing
Emoji attacks are fun.
One of my favorite scenes in movie history will always be watching Chuck Yeager break the sound barrier in The Right Stuff.
The day after a good rain is always so beautiful in San Pedro.
Until next week folks remember that emotion and heart swing rivalry games
-The Commissioner
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Week 11
Summaries
USC 38- Arizona State 17: The Trojans snapped a two-game losing skid by forking the Sun Devils at the Coliseum. USC QB Matt Barkley had what is now a typical Barkley day by throwing for three TDs and three interceptions. One of those was returned for a TD by ASU S Alden Darby 70 yards for a score in the second quarter. However, it was RB Curtis McNeal who took control of the Trojan offense. McNeal carried the ball 31 times for 163 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught a TD pass too. Then the Trojan defense returned from a 10 quarter absence and shutdown ASU for the final two quarters to secure the victory. ASU QB Taylor Kelly threw for 174 yards and one TD to go with three interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: They shut 'em down; The USC defense held ASU to 76 yards and three points in the second half.
Oregon 59- California 17: The Golden Bears played tough, physical football and trailed the Ducks by just seven points with 10:07 to go in the third quarter. Then, UO QB Marcus Mariota took over and threw five straight TD passes to turn this game into a rout. Mariota is the bellwether of the Duck offense. He plays well, the Ducks win, and counting this game he's played well for 10 straight weeks. He completed 27 of 34 aerials for 377 yards and six TDs. Behind backup Allan Bridgeford, who got the start for the injured Zach Maynard, the Golden Bears fell apart in the second half turning the ball over three times and losing it once more on downs.
Telling Stat: #8 > Cal; UO QB Marcus Mariota accounted for 419 total yards and six TDs while the entire Cal offense totaled 349 yards and 17 points.
Arizona 56- Colorado 31: The Buffaloes had no answer for UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey. He set a new Pac 12 record with 366 yards rushing and five TDs to lead the Wildcats to victory. QB B.J. Denker subbing for the injured Matt Scott completed 12 of 14 passes for 136 yards and 2 TDs to further humiliate the hapless Colorado defense. The UofA defense kept CU in check which allowed the Wildcats to build a 49-17 lead through three quarters. UofA then just cruised through the final period. Meanwhile, for the boys from Boulder, RB Christian Powell ran for 137 yards and 2 TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Third downs not necessary; UofA only had to contend with six third downs while racking up 574 yards on 11 possessions in the contest.
Washington 34- Utah 15: The Huskies offense came alive in a win over the Utes. Husky RB Bishop Sankey really carried the load for Dawgs by luggin the leather 36 times for 162 yards and two TDs. Sankey's teammate, QB Keith Price, had 227 yards passing and 2 TDs, while running for another score to aid the UW cause. The UW defense did a good job containing the Utes by holding Utah QB Travis Wilson to a meager 55 yards passing and the Utes as team to 188 total yards and nine first downs. Utah RB John White IV scored both of Utah's TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Guard Dawgs; In the last 16:33 of the game, the Huskies held Utah to zero first downs and -11 yards.
Stanford 27- Oregon State 23: After it was over, it was clear that one play made the difference in this game. With his squad up 23-20 with under nine minutes to play, and facing a 2nd and 15 from his own 25-yard line, OSU QB Cody Vaz fumbled while scrambling out of the pocket. Stanford DE Josh Mauro recovered the fumble. Six plays later SU QB Kevin Hogan hit TE Zach Ertz with a 13-yard TD pass that put the Cardinal up for good, 27-23. On Senior Day at the Farm, Hogan, the freshman QB, led the Cardinal to victory by completing 22 of 29 passes for 254 yards and 3 TDs. Vaz did finish the game with 226 yards and one TD for the Beavers. Stepfan Taylor had a good senior day for the Cardinal. He carried 19 times for 114 yards and one TD on the afternoon.
Telling Stat: A 4th quarter 0; Stanford's defense stopped OSU when it mattered, forcing one fumble, two punts and held for downs once to shutout the Beavers in the fourth quarter.
UCLA 44: Washington State 36: After racing out to a big halftime lead, the bRuins came out sluggish in the second half and had to hold off a furious Cougar rally to escape with a victory. The bRuins scored 30 points in the second quarter to go up 37-7 at the half behind three TDs from QB Brett Hundley, a safety and a 40-yard fumble return for a score by LB Eric Kendricks. The Cougars then put 29 points of the own on the board before watching their comeback bid fall by the wayside when they couldn't recover an onside kick with 1:31 to play. QB Connor Halliday threw for 330 yards and 5 TDs for the Cougars while UCLA QB Brett Hundley threw for 261 yards and 3 TDs for the bRuins.
Telling Stat: Block party; The bRuins blocked two Wazzu field goal attempts and one punt in this see-saw affair.
Notre Dame 21- Boston College 6: The Fighting Irish played to their strengths in a workmanlike win over the Eagles. ND QB Everett Golson threw for 300 yards and two scores and ran for another to lead his team to the win. The ND defense once again bent, but didn't break in allowing the Eagles just two field goals and only 53 yards rushing on the evening. ND RB Theo Riddick chipped in 104 yards rushing to help the Irish cause.
Telling Stat: They kept the chains moving; Notre Dame converted on 11 of 14 third downs to control the ball, the clock, and the game.
Going Bowling
There are 35 Bowl games this postseason. That means 70 teams will go bowling. Right now there are currently 57 bowl-eligible teams. The SEC has the most bowl-eligible teams with eight. The Pac 12 is second with seven squads that are bowl-eligible.
Observations
...Crossing the Mason-Dixon; Due to Notre Dame bailing out of their annual series with Michigan, the Wolverines were left with a hole to fill in their schedule. They filled it for 2018-2019 by signing up for a home-and-home series with Arkansas. When the boys from Ann Arbor hit Fayetteville in 2019, it will mark the first time ever that a Michigan squad will ever play in an SEC stadium.
...Not in great shape, but; This year's Trojan offense looks like a Ferrari with bad timing, scratches in the paint job and a dent in the fender. However, it is still a Ferrari.
...Blue Ducks; In 11 of the last 16 presidential elections, the football national champion has come from a state who's electoral votes went to the winner. Alabama, Kansas State, and Notre Dame are in states that went to Mitt Romney. Oregon went to Barack Obama. Hmmmmm.
...The last champion; Louisiana Tech looks like they will be the last WAC football champion if they can take care of Utah State this week. LaTech has been pretty good this year. The Bulldogs are 9-1 and averaging 53.4 points per game, The Bulldogs only loss was impressive too. They lost 59-57 to Texas A&M back on October 13th.
...The biggest miss; Thanks go to Ivan Maisel when he reported that Oregon's schedule is weaker than it should be this year because a big non-conference opponent canceled their game with the Ducks. The opponent that begged out of the game was Kansas State.
...Note to Johnny Manziel; When your family is trying to trademark your nickname, you are no longer a kid to your parents. You're now just a commodity.
...And then there was one; Massachusetts broke their FBS maiden with a 22-14 win over Akron. So, that leaves Southern Mississippi as the lone winless team in the FBS.
...There's just no excuse; Texas Tech HC Tommy Tubberville's ripping the headset and hat off of one his grad assistants head in order to humiliate the guy on the sideline was just plain stupid. Stay classy, Tommy.
...It's locked in; Barring the near impossible, Nebraska and Wisconsin will meet in the Big Ten title game. Will they break out the Tungsten v. Nitrogen uniforms again? I hope not.
...Shine's off that penny; Remember a few weeks ago when the Oklahoma-West Virginia game looked like it would be a clash of undefeated teams? Now it's just for second place in the Big XII.
...Cancel that Amber Alert; Call off the dogs, the USC defense was found in the second half playing real defense against Arizona State.
...One for the Gophers; By beating Illinois, 17-3 the Minnesota Golden Gophers are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2009.
...Bad in every way; Colorado ranks 100th or lower out of 120 FBS team in almost every statistical category. That includes scoring defense and scoring offense, which basically means that the Buffaloes lose every game by an average of 47-17. What a fine addition to the league!
...A note of thanks; Thanks Darrell Royal and your assistant coach Emory Bellard for developing the Wishbone offense. As a kid who grew with and playing in option offenses from the Wishbone to the Flexbone it was a great way to play the game.
...Wazzu investigation; Washington State and the Pac 12 are now looking into allegations by former WR Marquess Wilson that HC Mike Leach and his staff abused him and other Cougar players. These kind of allegations have dogged Leach throughout is career. Is this a player trying to get even with a coach he disliked or his this another instance of a pattern of abusive behavior by Leach and his staff? I'm afraid it may be the latter.
...Winless in Lawrence; Kansas is 0-7 in the Big XII, while their instate brethren are heading towards the BCS title game. I guess nobody in the league realized that the Jayhawks had the schematic advantage this season.
...Under the radar; How does 118 points and 1,065 yards of total offense get ignored by the media? Easy, just play in the ACC. Oh, and Georgia Tech beat North Carolina in regulation, 68-50. After all, basketball season started this last week on Tobacco Road.
And now, One Note About Something...
Boxer Carmen Basilio died last week at 85. The death is of note for me because my father was born in the 1920s like Basilio and boxing was my father's favorite sport. My father had many picture frames filled with old newspaper clippings and photos of great boxers in his garage. There were also stacks of old copies of Ring Magazine in the garage with those photos. My father loved the sport so much as a depression-era kid that he would shine shoes to get enough money so he could go to the movies and see the latest big fight at the movie theater. I was told tales of great fights and fighters all the time as a kid. At 10, I knew how Billy Conn blew his shot to beat Joe Louis and how Basilio beat Sugar Ray Robinson for the middleweight title in 1957. I never realized until I had grown up how some of my father's love of sports became mine. My love of football and baseball is well documented, but some of that love of sports came from him. I, as all of us, have tried to distance myself from my parents. It's at times like this though, that I realize that in some way, I am my father's son. Rest In Peace, Carmen Basililo.
Until next week folks,
Remember that rivalry games are awesome...if you win.
-The Commissioner
USC 38- Arizona State 17: The Trojans snapped a two-game losing skid by forking the Sun Devils at the Coliseum. USC QB Matt Barkley had what is now a typical Barkley day by throwing for three TDs and three interceptions. One of those was returned for a TD by ASU S Alden Darby 70 yards for a score in the second quarter. However, it was RB Curtis McNeal who took control of the Trojan offense. McNeal carried the ball 31 times for 163 yards and 2 TDs. He also caught a TD pass too. Then the Trojan defense returned from a 10 quarter absence and shutdown ASU for the final two quarters to secure the victory. ASU QB Taylor Kelly threw for 174 yards and one TD to go with three interceptions in the loss.
Telling Stat: They shut 'em down; The USC defense held ASU to 76 yards and three points in the second half.
Oregon 59- California 17: The Golden Bears played tough, physical football and trailed the Ducks by just seven points with 10:07 to go in the third quarter. Then, UO QB Marcus Mariota took over and threw five straight TD passes to turn this game into a rout. Mariota is the bellwether of the Duck offense. He plays well, the Ducks win, and counting this game he's played well for 10 straight weeks. He completed 27 of 34 aerials for 377 yards and six TDs. Behind backup Allan Bridgeford, who got the start for the injured Zach Maynard, the Golden Bears fell apart in the second half turning the ball over three times and losing it once more on downs.
Telling Stat: #8 > Cal; UO QB Marcus Mariota accounted for 419 total yards and six TDs while the entire Cal offense totaled 349 yards and 17 points.
Arizona 56- Colorado 31: The Buffaloes had no answer for UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey. He set a new Pac 12 record with 366 yards rushing and five TDs to lead the Wildcats to victory. QB B.J. Denker subbing for the injured Matt Scott completed 12 of 14 passes for 136 yards and 2 TDs to further humiliate the hapless Colorado defense. The UofA defense kept CU in check which allowed the Wildcats to build a 49-17 lead through three quarters. UofA then just cruised through the final period. Meanwhile, for the boys from Boulder, RB Christian Powell ran for 137 yards and 2 TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Third downs not necessary; UofA only had to contend with six third downs while racking up 574 yards on 11 possessions in the contest.
Washington 34- Utah 15: The Huskies offense came alive in a win over the Utes. Husky RB Bishop Sankey really carried the load for Dawgs by luggin the leather 36 times for 162 yards and two TDs. Sankey's teammate, QB Keith Price, had 227 yards passing and 2 TDs, while running for another score to aid the UW cause. The UW defense did a good job containing the Utes by holding Utah QB Travis Wilson to a meager 55 yards passing and the Utes as team to 188 total yards and nine first downs. Utah RB John White IV scored both of Utah's TDs in the loss.
Telling Stat: Guard Dawgs; In the last 16:33 of the game, the Huskies held Utah to zero first downs and -11 yards.
Stanford 27- Oregon State 23: After it was over, it was clear that one play made the difference in this game. With his squad up 23-20 with under nine minutes to play, and facing a 2nd and 15 from his own 25-yard line, OSU QB Cody Vaz fumbled while scrambling out of the pocket. Stanford DE Josh Mauro recovered the fumble. Six plays later SU QB Kevin Hogan hit TE Zach Ertz with a 13-yard TD pass that put the Cardinal up for good, 27-23. On Senior Day at the Farm, Hogan, the freshman QB, led the Cardinal to victory by completing 22 of 29 passes for 254 yards and 3 TDs. Vaz did finish the game with 226 yards and one TD for the Beavers. Stepfan Taylor had a good senior day for the Cardinal. He carried 19 times for 114 yards and one TD on the afternoon.
Telling Stat: A 4th quarter 0; Stanford's defense stopped OSU when it mattered, forcing one fumble, two punts and held for downs once to shutout the Beavers in the fourth quarter.
UCLA 44: Washington State 36: After racing out to a big halftime lead, the bRuins came out sluggish in the second half and had to hold off a furious Cougar rally to escape with a victory. The bRuins scored 30 points in the second quarter to go up 37-7 at the half behind three TDs from QB Brett Hundley, a safety and a 40-yard fumble return for a score by LB Eric Kendricks. The Cougars then put 29 points of the own on the board before watching their comeback bid fall by the wayside when they couldn't recover an onside kick with 1:31 to play. QB Connor Halliday threw for 330 yards and 5 TDs for the Cougars while UCLA QB Brett Hundley threw for 261 yards and 3 TDs for the bRuins.
Telling Stat: Block party; The bRuins blocked two Wazzu field goal attempts and one punt in this see-saw affair.
Notre Dame 21- Boston College 6: The Fighting Irish played to their strengths in a workmanlike win over the Eagles. ND QB Everett Golson threw for 300 yards and two scores and ran for another to lead his team to the win. The ND defense once again bent, but didn't break in allowing the Eagles just two field goals and only 53 yards rushing on the evening. ND RB Theo Riddick chipped in 104 yards rushing to help the Irish cause.
Telling Stat: They kept the chains moving; Notre Dame converted on 11 of 14 third downs to control the ball, the clock, and the game.
Going Bowling
There are 35 Bowl games this postseason. That means 70 teams will go bowling. Right now there are currently 57 bowl-eligible teams. The SEC has the most bowl-eligible teams with eight. The Pac 12 is second with seven squads that are bowl-eligible.
Observations
...Crossing the Mason-Dixon; Due to Notre Dame bailing out of their annual series with Michigan, the Wolverines were left with a hole to fill in their schedule. They filled it for 2018-2019 by signing up for a home-and-home series with Arkansas. When the boys from Ann Arbor hit Fayetteville in 2019, it will mark the first time ever that a Michigan squad will ever play in an SEC stadium.
...Not in great shape, but; This year's Trojan offense looks like a Ferrari with bad timing, scratches in the paint job and a dent in the fender. However, it is still a Ferrari.
...Blue Ducks; In 11 of the last 16 presidential elections, the football national champion has come from a state who's electoral votes went to the winner. Alabama, Kansas State, and Notre Dame are in states that went to Mitt Romney. Oregon went to Barack Obama. Hmmmmm.
...The last champion; Louisiana Tech looks like they will be the last WAC football champion if they can take care of Utah State this week. LaTech has been pretty good this year. The Bulldogs are 9-1 and averaging 53.4 points per game, The Bulldogs only loss was impressive too. They lost 59-57 to Texas A&M back on October 13th.
...The biggest miss; Thanks go to Ivan Maisel when he reported that Oregon's schedule is weaker than it should be this year because a big non-conference opponent canceled their game with the Ducks. The opponent that begged out of the game was Kansas State.
...Note to Johnny Manziel; When your family is trying to trademark your nickname, you are no longer a kid to your parents. You're now just a commodity.
...And then there was one; Massachusetts broke their FBS maiden with a 22-14 win over Akron. So, that leaves Southern Mississippi as the lone winless team in the FBS.
...There's just no excuse; Texas Tech HC Tommy Tubberville's ripping the headset and hat off of one his grad assistants head in order to humiliate the guy on the sideline was just plain stupid. Stay classy, Tommy.
...It's locked in; Barring the near impossible, Nebraska and Wisconsin will meet in the Big Ten title game. Will they break out the Tungsten v. Nitrogen uniforms again? I hope not.
...Shine's off that penny; Remember a few weeks ago when the Oklahoma-West Virginia game looked like it would be a clash of undefeated teams? Now it's just for second place in the Big XII.
...Cancel that Amber Alert; Call off the dogs, the USC defense was found in the second half playing real defense against Arizona State.
...One for the Gophers; By beating Illinois, 17-3 the Minnesota Golden Gophers are bowl-eligible for the first time since 2009.
...Bad in every way; Colorado ranks 100th or lower out of 120 FBS team in almost every statistical category. That includes scoring defense and scoring offense, which basically means that the Buffaloes lose every game by an average of 47-17. What a fine addition to the league!
...A note of thanks; Thanks Darrell Royal and your assistant coach Emory Bellard for developing the Wishbone offense. As a kid who grew with and playing in option offenses from the Wishbone to the Flexbone it was a great way to play the game.
...Wazzu investigation; Washington State and the Pac 12 are now looking into allegations by former WR Marquess Wilson that HC Mike Leach and his staff abused him and other Cougar players. These kind of allegations have dogged Leach throughout is career. Is this a player trying to get even with a coach he disliked or his this another instance of a pattern of abusive behavior by Leach and his staff? I'm afraid it may be the latter.
...Winless in Lawrence; Kansas is 0-7 in the Big XII, while their instate brethren are heading towards the BCS title game. I guess nobody in the league realized that the Jayhawks had the schematic advantage this season.
...Under the radar; How does 118 points and 1,065 yards of total offense get ignored by the media? Easy, just play in the ACC. Oh, and Georgia Tech beat North Carolina in regulation, 68-50. After all, basketball season started this last week on Tobacco Road.
And now, One Note About Something...
Boxer Carmen Basilio died last week at 85. The death is of note for me because my father was born in the 1920s like Basilio and boxing was my father's favorite sport. My father had many picture frames filled with old newspaper clippings and photos of great boxers in his garage. There were also stacks of old copies of Ring Magazine in the garage with those photos. My father loved the sport so much as a depression-era kid that he would shine shoes to get enough money so he could go to the movies and see the latest big fight at the movie theater. I was told tales of great fights and fighters all the time as a kid. At 10, I knew how Billy Conn blew his shot to beat Joe Louis and how Basilio beat Sugar Ray Robinson for the middleweight title in 1957. I never realized until I had grown up how some of my father's love of sports became mine. My love of football and baseball is well documented, but some of that love of sports came from him. I, as all of us, have tried to distance myself from my parents. It's at times like this though, that I realize that in some way, I am my father's son. Rest In Peace, Carmen Basililo.
Until next week folks,
Remember that rivalry games are awesome...if you win.
-The Commissioner
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Week 10
Hey All,
It's time for that column you know you were waiting to read, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
Oregon 62- USC 51: So, just how do you describe this game? Crazy and painful fits for Trojans fans. They watched their offense, led super WR Marqise Lee, put up 51 points on the Ducks, yet never have any control in the game because the Trojan defense couldn't stop a pop warner team, much less the Ducks high-octane offense. The Ducks wrote their own page in USC's single-game opponent record book by torching the Trojans for 62 points and 730 total yards. Among those 730 total yards, RB Kenjon Barner rushed for 321 yards and five TDs. Oh, and their true freshman QB Marcus Mariota wasn't bad either. He only completed 20 of 23 passes for 304 yards and four TDs on the hapless USC defense. USC QB Matt Barkley threw for 484 yards and five TDs in the epic loss.
Telling Stat: They never touched him; In a football version of a SABR-metric stat, Oregon RB Kenjon Barner gained 273 yards before contact in the game. That means for every time he touched the ball, he wasn't contacted by a Trojan defender until he was a little over eight yards down the field.
UCLA 66- Arizona 10: After being humiliated last year by the Wildcats, the bRuins were the ones doing the humiliating this time. UCLA QB Brett Hundley sliced up UofA's woeful defense by completing 23 of 28 passes for 288 yards and three TDs. Oh, and the bRuins had a ground game too. RB Johnathan Franklin racked up 162 yards rushing on 24 carries and two TDs as part of his team's 308 yards and six scores on the ground. As for the UCLA defense they smacked around the Wildcats all night forcing three turnovers and allowing them to convert on only 3 of 14 third downs. UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey generated just 54 yards rushing and scored his team's only TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: A one man gang; UCLA QB Brett Hundley gained 306 total yards rushing and passing with four TDs, while Arizona as a team gained only 257 total yards and scored just one TD.
Stanford 48- Colorado 0: The Colorado offense was hunted to near extinction by the Cardinal defense up in Boulder. The Buffs were held to a meager 76 total yards in the contest. The Cardinal lived in the CU backfield all game. The SU defense also started the scoring when S Ed Reynolds picked off a pass from QB Jordan Webb and took it 52 yards to the promised land. Stanford put the game away by putting up 28 points in the second quarter to go into the half up, 35-0 The Second half was just a glorified scrimmage with Stanford in control of all phases of the game. With QB Josh Nunes benched for poor play, new SU QB Keith Hogan completed 18 of 23 passes for 184 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for 48 yards as well. RB Stepfan Taylor only carried the ball 10 times, but scored two TDs for the Cardinal.
Telling Stat: Not even close; The Buffaloes never got even close to a whiff of the end zone as the Colorado didn't run a single play in Stanford territory. Yup, they never crossed the 50-yard line.
Washington 21- California 13: The Huskies came into Berkeley and managed to pick up their first road win in over a year. This game was sloppy. The two teams combined for eight turnovers and 19 penalties. However, the Huskies got the last of the eight turnovers when LB Shaq Thompson picked off Cal QB Zach Maynard and returned it 33 yards to the Cal 28-yard line with 6:13 left to play. Four plays later UW RB Bishop Sankey knifed into the end zone from one yard out to secure the game for the Dawgs. The Golden Bears had no answer for Sankey who lugged the leather 29 times for 189 yards and 2 TDs. Cal RB C.J. Anderson ran for 160 yards on 22 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: He carried when it counted; RB Bishop Sankey carried the ball four straight times for all 28 yards on the game winning drive for the Huskies.
Utah 49- Washington State 6: The Utes whipped a lack-luster Cougar squad to pick up their 4th win of the season. Utah QB Travis Wilson hit on 17 of 21 tosses for 171 yards and 2 TDs, while RB John White IV rushed for 101 yards and 2 TDs of his own in this laugher. The Utah defense held Wazzu's offense to 255 total yards and just 2 of 15 third down conversions. The Utes also had another good day on special teams with KR Reggie Dunn returned another kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. That's the third time he's done that in the last two weeks. Cougar QB Jeff Tuel threw for 232 yards and his team's only score in the loss.
Telling Stat: Way too little, way too late: Wazzu scored on their final drive of the game, long after this one was over with Utah up 49-0 and their bench emptied.
Oregon State 36- Arizona State 26: Cody Vaz got the nod at QB for the Beavers and he didn't disappoint as he led his squad to a win over the Sun Devils. Vaz threw for 267 yards and thee TDs to lead the Beaver attack. It was close for while though, as the game stood knotted up at 19-19 at the start of the second half. The Beavers took over from there scoring 17 straight points to put the game out of reach. ASU got their lone score of the second half when RB Marion Grice hauled in a two-yard TD pass from QB Taylor Kelly with 22 seconds left. RB Terron Ward had a good game on the ground for OSU rushing for 146 yards and one touchdown. ASU QB Taylor Kelly threw for 153 yards and one TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: They dammed the Devils in the second half; The OSU defense forced six three-and-outs on ASU's eight second half possessions to secure the victory.
Notre Dame 29- Pitt 26 3OT: Coming off their big win over Oklahoma, the Fighting Irish came out sluggish and almost saw the Panthers ruin their bid at an undefeated season. Down 20-6 to start the fourth quarter, ND clawed their way back into the game with two TD passes from QB Everett Golson. Golson also ran in for the game-tying two-point conversion with 2:11 left in regulation. Then, the fun began in overtime where both squads traded field goals in the first OT period. The second OT period is where the game really turned as ND RB Cierre Wood fumbled the ball on the Pitt one-yard line where it was recovered by CB Jason Hendricks. All looked lost for ND when Panther PK Kevin Harper lined up for a 33-yard field goal attempt. However, Harper's kick went wide and the Panther's lost all their steam. After allowing a field goal on Pitt's next possession, ND won the game when Golson crossed the double stripe from one- yard out. Disaster was avoided for the Fighting Irish.
Telling Stat: He was the man; ND QB Everett Golson accounted for 301 of ND's 522 total yards, all three Irish TDs and a two-point conversion to lead his squad to victory.
Observations
...No solace; For Trojan fans there's not much comfort in knowing that their team scored 51 points and was never really in the game v. Oregon.
...And then there were still two; Southern Mississippi and Massachusetts are the only winless teams left in the FBS. This is a recording.
...Aztec warriors; San Diego State pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season when they beat Boise State, in Boise, 21-19. It was just Boise's third home loss since 2001.
...They really were blind; Missing a judgement call is one thing, but the ND-Pitt officiating crew missed that Notre Dame had two players wearing the same jersey number on the play where Pitt missed a game-winning 33-yard field goal attempt in overtime. I think Pitt would have liked to have that penalty called.
...A significant game by default; With Theee OSU and Penn State both ineligible in the Leaders division of the Big Ten, Indiana hosts Wisconsin with first place on the line. If the Hoosiers pull the upset, they have a great chance at making the Big Ten Championship Game. Bloomington should be rocking, or whatever all 30 Indiana football call it, on Saturday.
...Captain obvious speaking here; Oregon and UCLA look pretty well set at Quarterback for the next few years.
...It's close to the schools; That's what will be on the real estate flyers for the homes of Cal HC Jeff Tedford and CU HC Jon Embree when they both get fired at the end of the season.
...Flying under the radar; Their overall record is just 5-4, but Air Force is 4-1 in the Mountain West with a shot at the league crown.
...A donnybrook on The Farm; It's gonna be a bare-knuckles affair when Oregon State travels to Stanford this week. Both teams might score in the double digits.
...They could do it: Utah has won two straight games and is trying to make a big late run to make a bowl game. They need two wins in their last three games to get there. They need to either win on the road at Washington or at home v. Arizona to accomplish the feat as their last game of the year is at home versus hapless Colorado.
...The verdict is in; After much careful deliberation and consultation with other Trojan fans, the USC defense should not be called a sieve. It's actually a sluice because a sluice has much bigger holes.
...Roses in their Irish eyes; In a little known codicil of the Faber College Constitution aka the BCS Selection Procedures, it is quite likely in the event that Oregon makes it to the BCS title game, that no other Pac 12 team could finish in the top 14 of the BCS standings. That means an undefeated or one loss Notre Dame team could be selected to face the Big Ten Champ in the Rose Bowl.
...A blowup in Pullman; Wazzu's top wideout, Marquess Wilson, is suspended indefinitely after refusing to do a drill, having words with a couple of coaches and then storming out of practice Sunday night. Things aren't going like HC Mike Leach planned in his first year up in the Palouse.
...Ducks love Frogs; Horned Frogs that is. Kansas State travels TCU this week.
...Ancient Eight decider; Harvard will take on Penn this week at historic Franklin Field with the Ivy League title on the line. The two schools have split the last five league titles between them.
And now, this week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Homemade Smores cookies are incredible.
I now know what a Va-Va-Voom is.
Foggy nights on the waterfront are still very cool.
Until next week folks, remember that your defense actually has to stop the other team in order to win the game.
-The Commissioner
It's time for that column you know you were waiting to read, Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
Oregon 62- USC 51: So, just how do you describe this game? Crazy and painful fits for Trojans fans. They watched their offense, led super WR Marqise Lee, put up 51 points on the Ducks, yet never have any control in the game because the Trojan defense couldn't stop a pop warner team, much less the Ducks high-octane offense. The Ducks wrote their own page in USC's single-game opponent record book by torching the Trojans for 62 points and 730 total yards. Among those 730 total yards, RB Kenjon Barner rushed for 321 yards and five TDs. Oh, and their true freshman QB Marcus Mariota wasn't bad either. He only completed 20 of 23 passes for 304 yards and four TDs on the hapless USC defense. USC QB Matt Barkley threw for 484 yards and five TDs in the epic loss.
Telling Stat: They never touched him; In a football version of a SABR-metric stat, Oregon RB Kenjon Barner gained 273 yards before contact in the game. That means for every time he touched the ball, he wasn't contacted by a Trojan defender until he was a little over eight yards down the field.
UCLA 66- Arizona 10: After being humiliated last year by the Wildcats, the bRuins were the ones doing the humiliating this time. UCLA QB Brett Hundley sliced up UofA's woeful defense by completing 23 of 28 passes for 288 yards and three TDs. Oh, and the bRuins had a ground game too. RB Johnathan Franklin racked up 162 yards rushing on 24 carries and two TDs as part of his team's 308 yards and six scores on the ground. As for the UCLA defense they smacked around the Wildcats all night forcing three turnovers and allowing them to convert on only 3 of 14 third downs. UofA RB Ka'Deem Carey generated just 54 yards rushing and scored his team's only TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: A one man gang; UCLA QB Brett Hundley gained 306 total yards rushing and passing with four TDs, while Arizona as a team gained only 257 total yards and scored just one TD.
Stanford 48- Colorado 0: The Colorado offense was hunted to near extinction by the Cardinal defense up in Boulder. The Buffs were held to a meager 76 total yards in the contest. The Cardinal lived in the CU backfield all game. The SU defense also started the scoring when S Ed Reynolds picked off a pass from QB Jordan Webb and took it 52 yards to the promised land. Stanford put the game away by putting up 28 points in the second quarter to go into the half up, 35-0 The Second half was just a glorified scrimmage with Stanford in control of all phases of the game. With QB Josh Nunes benched for poor play, new SU QB Keith Hogan completed 18 of 23 passes for 184 yards and 2 TDs. He also ran for 48 yards as well. RB Stepfan Taylor only carried the ball 10 times, but scored two TDs for the Cardinal.
Telling Stat: Not even close; The Buffaloes never got even close to a whiff of the end zone as the Colorado didn't run a single play in Stanford territory. Yup, they never crossed the 50-yard line.
Washington 21- California 13: The Huskies came into Berkeley and managed to pick up their first road win in over a year. This game was sloppy. The two teams combined for eight turnovers and 19 penalties. However, the Huskies got the last of the eight turnovers when LB Shaq Thompson picked off Cal QB Zach Maynard and returned it 33 yards to the Cal 28-yard line with 6:13 left to play. Four plays later UW RB Bishop Sankey knifed into the end zone from one yard out to secure the game for the Dawgs. The Golden Bears had no answer for Sankey who lugged the leather 29 times for 189 yards and 2 TDs. Cal RB C.J. Anderson ran for 160 yards on 22 carries in the loss.
Telling Stat: He carried when it counted; RB Bishop Sankey carried the ball four straight times for all 28 yards on the game winning drive for the Huskies.
Utah 49- Washington State 6: The Utes whipped a lack-luster Cougar squad to pick up their 4th win of the season. Utah QB Travis Wilson hit on 17 of 21 tosses for 171 yards and 2 TDs, while RB John White IV rushed for 101 yards and 2 TDs of his own in this laugher. The Utah defense held Wazzu's offense to 255 total yards and just 2 of 15 third down conversions. The Utes also had another good day on special teams with KR Reggie Dunn returned another kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. That's the third time he's done that in the last two weeks. Cougar QB Jeff Tuel threw for 232 yards and his team's only score in the loss.
Telling Stat: Way too little, way too late: Wazzu scored on their final drive of the game, long after this one was over with Utah up 49-0 and their bench emptied.
Oregon State 36- Arizona State 26: Cody Vaz got the nod at QB for the Beavers and he didn't disappoint as he led his squad to a win over the Sun Devils. Vaz threw for 267 yards and thee TDs to lead the Beaver attack. It was close for while though, as the game stood knotted up at 19-19 at the start of the second half. The Beavers took over from there scoring 17 straight points to put the game out of reach. ASU got their lone score of the second half when RB Marion Grice hauled in a two-yard TD pass from QB Taylor Kelly with 22 seconds left. RB Terron Ward had a good game on the ground for OSU rushing for 146 yards and one touchdown. ASU QB Taylor Kelly threw for 153 yards and one TD in the loss.
Telling Stat: They dammed the Devils in the second half; The OSU defense forced six three-and-outs on ASU's eight second half possessions to secure the victory.
Notre Dame 29- Pitt 26 3OT: Coming off their big win over Oklahoma, the Fighting Irish came out sluggish and almost saw the Panthers ruin their bid at an undefeated season. Down 20-6 to start the fourth quarter, ND clawed their way back into the game with two TD passes from QB Everett Golson. Golson also ran in for the game-tying two-point conversion with 2:11 left in regulation. Then, the fun began in overtime where both squads traded field goals in the first OT period. The second OT period is where the game really turned as ND RB Cierre Wood fumbled the ball on the Pitt one-yard line where it was recovered by CB Jason Hendricks. All looked lost for ND when Panther PK Kevin Harper lined up for a 33-yard field goal attempt. However, Harper's kick went wide and the Panther's lost all their steam. After allowing a field goal on Pitt's next possession, ND won the game when Golson crossed the double stripe from one- yard out. Disaster was avoided for the Fighting Irish.
Telling Stat: He was the man; ND QB Everett Golson accounted for 301 of ND's 522 total yards, all three Irish TDs and a two-point conversion to lead his squad to victory.
Observations
...No solace; For Trojan fans there's not much comfort in knowing that their team scored 51 points and was never really in the game v. Oregon.
...And then there were still two; Southern Mississippi and Massachusetts are the only winless teams left in the FBS. This is a recording.
...Aztec warriors; San Diego State pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season when they beat Boise State, in Boise, 21-19. It was just Boise's third home loss since 2001.
...They really were blind; Missing a judgement call is one thing, but the ND-Pitt officiating crew missed that Notre Dame had two players wearing the same jersey number on the play where Pitt missed a game-winning 33-yard field goal attempt in overtime. I think Pitt would have liked to have that penalty called.
...A significant game by default; With Theee OSU and Penn State both ineligible in the Leaders division of the Big Ten, Indiana hosts Wisconsin with first place on the line. If the Hoosiers pull the upset, they have a great chance at making the Big Ten Championship Game. Bloomington should be rocking, or whatever all 30 Indiana football call it, on Saturday.
...Captain obvious speaking here; Oregon and UCLA look pretty well set at Quarterback for the next few years.
...It's close to the schools; That's what will be on the real estate flyers for the homes of Cal HC Jeff Tedford and CU HC Jon Embree when they both get fired at the end of the season.
...Flying under the radar; Their overall record is just 5-4, but Air Force is 4-1 in the Mountain West with a shot at the league crown.
...A donnybrook on The Farm; It's gonna be a bare-knuckles affair when Oregon State travels to Stanford this week. Both teams might score in the double digits.
...They could do it: Utah has won two straight games and is trying to make a big late run to make a bowl game. They need two wins in their last three games to get there. They need to either win on the road at Washington or at home v. Arizona to accomplish the feat as their last game of the year is at home versus hapless Colorado.
...The verdict is in; After much careful deliberation and consultation with other Trojan fans, the USC defense should not be called a sieve. It's actually a sluice because a sluice has much bigger holes.
...Roses in their Irish eyes; In a little known codicil of the Faber College Constitution aka the BCS Selection Procedures, it is quite likely in the event that Oregon makes it to the BCS title game, that no other Pac 12 team could finish in the top 14 of the BCS standings. That means an undefeated or one loss Notre Dame team could be selected to face the Big Ten Champ in the Rose Bowl.
...A blowup in Pullman; Wazzu's top wideout, Marquess Wilson, is suspended indefinitely after refusing to do a drill, having words with a couple of coaches and then storming out of practice Sunday night. Things aren't going like HC Mike Leach planned in his first year up in the Palouse.
...Ducks love Frogs; Horned Frogs that is. Kansas State travels TCU this week.
...Ancient Eight decider; Harvard will take on Penn this week at historic Franklin Field with the Ivy League title on the line. The two schools have split the last five league titles between them.
And now, this week's Three Notes About Nothing...
Homemade Smores cookies are incredible.
I now know what a Va-Va-Voom is.
Foggy nights on the waterfront are still very cool.
Until next week folks, remember that your defense actually has to stop the other team in order to win the game.
-The Commissioner
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